Fallen Stars
by Rosalie Barvik
Summary: Brunnhilde, the Valkyrie, is finally back with Asgard. Her alcoholism mixed with her own doubts leaves her feeling alone and empty. She forges an unlikely friendship with a certain god of mischief, that sends things spinning in a totally new direction. Things were actually going to be alright. . . until a mysterious ship pulls up in front of them.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This takes place after _Thor: Ragnarok_ but before the first post-credit scene. I know it's assumed Bruce Banner stays Hulk until _Infinity War,_ but I changed it so he's back to being Banner. **

A knock sounded at the door.

The Valkyrie lifted her head groggily. She was vaguely aware of someone asking permission to enter. Brunnhilde staggered to her feet. She reached for her bottle but stumbled and fell on it, breaking the glass. She muttered a curse and swiped at the blood welling in the cut on her knee.

She heard the door creak open. Vision blurred from the hangover, Brunnhilde could only make out someone approaching her. Suddenly a face appeared close to hers. She blinked. Her vision cleared. A man's face loomed just above her own. His expression was full of pity which Brunnhilde found annoying considering who this was.

"Loki,'' she spat.

"Brunnhilde.''

She accepted the hand he offered. Loki pulled the Valkyrie to her feet. She stumbled, the stinging of her knee and weight of the hangover making her off-balance. Loki tried steadying her, but she pulled away.

"Don't touch me!'' She staggered and fell.

Loki crossed his arms and sighed mournfully. "Don't do this to yourself.''

"Do what?'' Brunnhilde made no effort to get back up.

Loki gestured to her. "This! This haggard, drunken state you've been in for decades! You've had quite enough. Let go. Start over, please.''

"Says the man who betrayed his brother and king umpteenth times,'' Brunnhilde shot.

"I've changed my ways, you can change yours.''

"I don't want to.''

"Why?! You can't _want_ to live like this! How could this ever make you happy?''

"It isn't about being happy,'' said the Valkyrie flatly. "It's about living.''

Loki huffed. "If you weren't an immortal Valkyrie you would already be dead from alcoholic consumption.''

"I don't want to be a Valkyrie! I don't want to live with the pain of being the last one!'' Brunnhilde said more than she meant to. She blamed the drinks. Hopefully the god of mischief hadn't caught the last part.

He had very much so.

"So _that's_ it! You push away the pain and guilt of all your friends dying by drinking and trying to forget!'' Loki exclaimed triumphantly.

Brunnhilde narrowed her eyes. "And I'd done very well forgetting until you came along and made me relieve every moment of it on Sakaar.''

Loki dropped his gaze. "Sorry.''

"Never mind. Why are you here? What do you want? And why do you care so much about what I do? It's none of your business.''

"I'm here because Thor sent me. As for what I want and why I care,'' Loki said spreading his hands. "I want to be your friend.''

That surprised Brunnhilde. "You want to be my friend? _Why_? Is there no one else on this whole ship you can burden?''

"There is not.''

"Don't you know all these people? You grew up with them,'' Brunnhilde insisted.

"Which is why we can't be friends.'' Loki eyed the Valkyrie cooly. "None of them will ever except me; they all know I betrayed Thor. They don't trust me.''

"Yes, well, I don't trust you either!''

"That's not true.''

Brunndilde groaned. Loki was being so annoying. She did not really have a reason to distrust Loki. He hadn't done anything to her personally other than look inside her head. But he had betrayed her king. "Your reputation precedes you.''

Loki flexed his long, thin fingers. "If Thor can forgive me, why can't you?''

"Why should I?''

"This conversation is going nowhere,'' said Loki flatly. "Friends or not?''

Friends or not. Could they be friends? There really was no reason why not. Brunnhilde hadn't had any real friends since her fellow Valkyrie died. She was put off and edgy. Loki was put off and edgy.

"Look.'' The god of mischief said gently, "We're both looking for new lives. If you stop drinking and I stop betraying we could be the first of many to turn things around, to make new lives—"

Brunnhilde cut him off. "You are not implying we make a family?''

"No! No, nothing like that I assure you,'' Loki promised. "A casual friendship.''

The Valkyrie was still doubtful.

"We don't even have to be friends for long. Just until we find. . . better ones.''

Brunnhilde lifted her chin. "Alright then, Lucky.''

"It's Loki.''

"I don't give a damn if it's Loopy,'' she snapped.

Loki smirked. "Okay, Bruno.''

Brunnhilde whipped out her dagger. "You're going to want to shut up this instant.''

He held his hands up in surrender. "Fine, fine. Friends?''

She swayed dizzily. "Friends.''

"Stop drinking.''

"Stop talking.''

Loki's lips parted. "This is going to be wonderful.''

The Valkyrie shoved him, making herself stumble more than him. Loki steadied her. She shrugged him off. No need to get physical. _Casual friends._

"Why did Thor send you anyway anyway?'' She demanded.

"Some sort of meeting, counsel. We need to determined what happens next. Soon.'' Loki glanced around even though no one else was present. "The Asgardians are restless.''

By the time Loki and Brunnhilde reached the conference room Thor had already started. He, Bruce Banner, Korg and his small friend Mick, and Heimdall appeared deep in conversation. When Loki and Brunnhilde walked in, Thor looked up disapprovingly. "What took you so long, brother?''

"We lost our way,'' Loki lied easily. Thor nodded having clearly believed his younger brother's excuse. Loki lied too well, Brunnhilde decided. But it was her fault they were late. Loki had vouched for her sake. Brunnhilde wouldn't rat him out, not this time. She and her new "friend" moved into the rough circle the group had formed.

"We were discussing where we should bring Asgard,'' Thor explained. "We've come to no conclusion thus far.''

"Would no realm take you?" Loki asked. Brunnhilde noticed how he said "you" not "us". Thor must have noticed too because his eyes darkened.

"I've sent messages to the possible choices,'' Heimdall sighed. "They all refused.''

Thor turned to his brother. "We were wondering if you could convince Jotunheim—''

"No,'' Loki put him down quickly. He gave no reason. Curiosity sprouted inside Brunnhilde. Loki hid demons of his own. Maybe she could draw them out.

"We need to decide soon,'' Thor said, exasperated. "Asgard can't be floating in the middle of nowhere forever.''

"I think it's kind of nice personally,'' said the rock giant Korg. His optimism was appreciated, but unhelpful all the same. Brunnhilde could not think of anywhere herself. There had to be somewhere. She'd just gotten back; she wasn't going to let it slip away altogether.

Everyone was quiet for a long time.

"I think,'' Bruce Banner said finally, "you should open your mind outside the nine realms.''

Brunnhilde had mixed feelings about Banner. She had gotten used to him being a green rage monster for two years. She almost missed it. The Hulk was kind of like a big baby, Brunnhilde being his nanny. Bruce Banner was more introverted. He was a genius, but didn't speak often. And he was much smaller.

The king of Asgard ran his big hands through his recently cut hair. "What do you mean, Bruce?''

"Why not go to Earth?''

Loki jerked his head up, panic briefly flashing in his eyes before he controlled it. Heimdall folded his arms broodingly. Thor seemed considerate. Korg and Mick nodded, though it was impossible to see Mick's emotions because he didn't really have a face. Brunnhilde was rather indifferent. The Valkyrie had never been there, but had heard good things about it. Bruce waited awkwardly.

"I think that would work,'' Thor said slowly. "At least, until we find somewhere better. I am most welcome there and Asgard should be as well.''

Bruce and Heimdall both glanced at Loki, who's eyes were downcast. Brunnhilde would have to ask someone what had happened on Earth. Her new friend appeared to dislike the prospect of going back. Thor noticed this.

"It may only be temporary,'' he repeated.

"Then it's settled.'' Heimdall dipped his head to Thor. "Asgard is going to Earth.''

 **Slow start. It'll get better, I promise.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Heyo. Sorry this has taken so long to update. I've had writers block, which I don't usually get.**

Brunnhilde yawned. Men were so dull. Even after decided where Asgard would go—which was the point of the meeting to begin with—Thor kept the assembly fro another hour. He was trying to unkink every little problem with the new plan. Thor and Heimdall were pacing. Korg and Mick had gotten bored and left. Bruce Banner was fast asleep on the floor. Brunnhilde and Loki had resorted to sitting on the floor, listening.

Brunnhilde wished she could leave as easily as Korg had. But the knew it would be inappropriate. She must stay. Loki caught her eye. He winked. Brunnhilde rolled her eyes. The god seemed as disinterested in the conversation as she was. That made her feel slightly better.

"Very well, then,'' Thor finally said. "We will announce it to the people. We will split into pairs. Once a few people know, everyone will. These things spread like eternal flame.'' Thor adjusted his eye patch. "Korg, you and Mick go together. Tell the first people you see the plan. I'll go with Banner. Heimdall can do as he pleases.''

Loki smirked at Brunnhilde. "That leaves just us.''

"Gods help me,'' she muttered.

"I am a god—''

"Shut up!''

"This will be interesting,'' Thor mused half to himself.

Brunnhilde shot him a glare. Why Loki? Why couldn't she go with someone else. _Anyone_ else. She thought Thor did it on purpose. He found it amusing.

Loki rose gracefully to his feet. Brunnhilde wished she could say the same. However the alcohol was still taking its toll. She stumbled again. Loki caught her again.

"You alright?'' Thor asked.

"Quite.'' The Valkyrie's cheeks burned. How many humiliations could she take in one day?

Thor grunted. "I better wake Banner.'' He started towards his sleeping friend.

Loki gestured in front of him. "Ladies first.''

"I hate you.''

By the time Brunnhilde and Loki stopped bickering and actually did what they were told, half of Asgard already knew the plan. Most of the people explained to the duo Korg had told them. He and Mick were very convincing. Brunnhilde and Loki were not. Not a single person who had not yet heard believed them. "And why would we trust you?'' they kept saying. Brunnhilde got their point. She had abandoned Asgard. Although she had recently helped save it from Surter, it would take more time for the people to trust her completely. Loki was a a whole other matter. Loki had flatly betrayed their beloved king. . . like, multiple times. Brunnhilde couldn't help feeling sorry for him. He wasn't truly "of Asgard" but he had been raised there. It was the closest thing to home for him. And he _had_ repented.

"Give them some more time,'' Brunnhilde told him gently.

Loki shrugged. "What for?''

"They will trust you again someday.''

"They won't.''

"Maybe—''

"Please stop,'' said Loki. "They will never trust me again. And why should they? I wouldn't trust me either.''

"You saved them,'' Brunnhilde pointed out.

"What choice did I have?''

"You could have left them all to die.''

Loki seemed to consider this as if he had never thought of it. He never thought to abandon Asgard to die. _Maybe Loki isn't so bad after all._

"I don't think I did have a choice,'' the god after several minutes of silence. "I couldn't have possibly left thousands to die. I may be a bad person. I may have been a selfish traitor. But I'm no —-."

The Valkyrie realized something. "You're not a . . . bad person. You've just done bad things. I think you could be a very good person.''

Loki smiled. This time it was an actual smile. "Maybe.''

A warm feeling bloomed in Brunnhilde's chest. It felt like a cold day on Sakaar when she just chugged an entire keg of whiskey. But she had had no whiskey that day. And this feeling was much more pleasant. Almost like. . . Agh. She didn't know. But Brunnhilde liked it.

"We've only been friends a couple hours and you're already pouring out your heart to me,'' Loki joked, ruining the moment.

"I really do hate you.''

"You barely know me.''

"Yes, well, as you just said we've only been friends for a couple of hours. It takes longer than that to 'know' someone.''

"Feisty,'' said Loki. "You remind me of a female guard I once flirted with.''

Brunnhilde raised a brow. "Female guard?''

"Yes. I grew up in the Asgard palace, you know. There were some rather attractive girls there. Fighters, too.''

"Lucky bastard.''

"Bruno whore.''

Brunnhilde groaned. She forgot she had called Loki "lucky'' earlier. He wasn't called the god of mischief for nothing. "First, all Valkyrie are virgins. Second, you really are impossible.''

"I know.'' Loki sounded far too happy about it.

Brunnhilde rolled her eyes. "I've had enough of you for one day.'' She started walking away from him.

"See you tomorrow Bruno the Virgin!'' Loki called behind her.

She didn't answer. Brunnhilde hurried back to her quarters. She stared at the broken glass bottle on the floor. She wanted to drink. She knew she shouldn't. Brunnhilde picked up the biggest shard of glass. She traced the sharp edge down the vein on her wrist, not hard enough to draw blood. _What good is life anyway?_ she wondered. _I have no friends. No one cares about me. Drink, drink, drink. That's all I do. I could just end it all right now._ She pressed harder. _No one would care. No one would even notice. I'm Brunnhilde the Valkyrie. All my friends are gone._ Blood slowly trickled down her arm. A tear slid down Brunnhilde's face. When had she cried last? It had been centuries. It felt good. . .

 _No!_

She dropped the glass. It shattered into a thousand pieces. Brunnhilde wiped the blood away. The cut was not deep. It would heal. She would live. Brunnhilde had friends. Thor and Banner. Korg and Mick could be friends. They would be. Loki. Loki was her friend.

The Valkyrie dried her eyes and smiled.

Loki was her friend.

 **Please review**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry if this is sloppy. I should be asleep right now. Your welcome33**

Brunnhilde spun around and arced her dagger, deflecting Loki's long knife. Before he could return the blow, she swung it around and knocked Loki's weapon out of his hands. He raised his arms in defeat.

"You won,'' he added with a glint in his eyes, "again.''

"You're letting me win,'' the Valkyrie accused.

Loki mocked innocence. "Me? _Never.''_

Brunnhilde easily disarmed him again. "Liar.''

"All right, that time I'll admit I let you win. But eighty-percent of the time it's perfecting fair I can assure you.''

"Then why do I keep beating you?'' She asked pausing for a rest.

"Probably because you've stopped drinking; you have practiced more and your senses have sharpened.'' Loki traced his pointer finger along the sharp edge of his knife.

"You think so?'' Brunnhilde fought to keep the excitement out of her voice. It had been a full week since Loki had made her stop drinking. The first couple days were awful. Brunnhilde had felt sluggish and depressed. She had been furious with Loki, but he kept insisting the first effects were only temporary. He was right. Now Brunnhilde had never felt better. Her senses were sharpened. She was alert and aware of her surroundings. Her entire system felt detoxicated. And Brunnhilde felt _happy._ Actually, genuinely happy. She had Loki to thank.

During the first couple days Loki had kept her busy with training. He seemed to think she would need it. She couldn't imagine what could go wrong now. Ragnarok was past. What else was there to worry about?

"Loki,'' Brunnhilde met his deep green gaze. "What is going to happen?''

The god of mischief's expression betrayed nothing. "What do you mean, Brunnhilde?''

She cocked her head. "You've done something. Don't try to hide it from me.''

"Do you want to know?''

"Yes.'' _What is he doing?_

Loki narrowed his eyes, tilting his head back. He extended his right arm. A blue mass shimmered above his pale hand. The mass quickly formed into cube. A shiver ran down Brunnhilde's spine. It was the Tesseract. From Odin's treasury on Asgard. It held the Space Stone, one of the six powerful Infinity Stones.

"Why the _hell_ did you take that?'' Brunnhilde breathed.

"I owe it to someone.''

"To whom would you owe an Infinity Stone?''

Loki pursed his lips. "Doesn't matter. I had a deal with someone and I screwed up, thanks to Thor and his Earthly friends.''

"But why does that matter now?''

"Because—,'' Loki's voice dropped. "Because he's looking for me. He knows I have the Stone. I already lost him one. He's coming for me.''

"I don't understand. Loki, you aren't making any sense! If you knew 'he' would know if you got the Space Stone then _why_ did you take it? You could have left it in Asgard. It would have gotten destroyed; problem solved.''

"Because he would know if it was destroyed and he would kill us all!'' Loki's face was suddenly close to her's. His breath was warm on her neck.

Brunnhilde trembled. "And who is this person who has so much power?''

"His name is Thanos.''

Brunnhilde heard the name but it didn't register. Loki was almost touching her now. She had the sudden urge to wrap her arms around his neck. This person—Thanos—if he knew could track Loki. . . if he would kill all of Asgard if Loki hadn't taken the Stone. . . Was it a danger if Loki did have the Soul Stone? Would it still anger Thanos he had lost another earlier? Brunnhilde's mind muddled. She couldn't focus. She felt Loki's fingertips run down her back. Even after knowing him for such a short time she suddenly never wanted to leave his side. Could they have a future? Could the drinking and misery finally be over in her life? She had a chance to be happy. . . would she take it while she still could?

She jerked away from him. She stumbled and almost fell to the ground. Brunnhilde was vaguely aware of Loki asking her if she was alright. `She regained her footing and stood up right into Loki. She grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Are you in danger?'' She fiercely demanded.

For the first time since they met, Loki looked surprised. He didn't even respond immediately. "Why do you care about me all of a sudden?''

Brunnhilde stepped back from him. "Because you're my friend.''

"Didn't you just agree to be friends with me until someone better came along?"

Brunnhilde shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "I did. . . at first. But no one better did come. I—I didn't want them to. I want you to be my friend. I wouldn't want anyone else.'' She swallowed down emotion. She hated the tremor in her voice.

Loki took a step towards her so they were close again. "I wouldn't want anyone else.''

She wished she knew if he was simply repeating her or he meant it. She wanted him to mean it with his whole being.

"I'm waiting for Thor to come in at this moment,'' Loki muttered.

The Valkyrie laughed. She embraced him. He held her tightly. She felt safe. She felt wanted. And something else. A tingle in her chest. Brunnhilde kissed Loki's neck. His skin was cool against her lips, his breath warm on her cheek. Brunnhilde had never kissed a man. The Valkyrie being sworn virgins and they did not look for the opportunity. It wasn't until then she knew how much she had missed out. _Never let this moment end,_ she prayed. But too soon Loki pulled away. He still looked immersed though.

"I must go,'' he told me. Brunnhilde was surprised how much my heart sank. But she nodded. Loki squeezed her hand and fled. Brunnhilde watched him go. Watched the graceful, beautiful god she had just kissed leave the room. For several minutes Brunnhilde was weightless, emotionless, thoughtless. Then she offered a new prayer. _Never let me forget that moment._

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	4. Chapter 4

Brunnhilde's eyes flew open. She emitted a hoarse cry and struggled out of bed. She got tangled up in her thin sheet and ended up in a heap on the floor. The Valkyrie didn't get up. She squeezed her eyes shut. At first she thought she was going to throw up, but the feeling passed. Gasping for air, Brunnhilde realized her cheeks were wet. Disgusted with her self, she wiped her eyes and sat on her heels. _Valkyrie don't cry. Get ahold of yourself, girl._

She clambered to her feet. Brunnhilde remade her bed, trying not to think about her nightmare. It was the same she'd had every night that week. It was of her best friend, Tyra, who had taken a spear for Brunnhilde. In the dream, Brunnhilde had been walking down a cavernous hall in the Asgard palace. At the end of the hall, Tyra appeared, waving and smiling. She beckoned to Brunnhilde to follow. Brunnhilde tried, but she couldn't reach her best friend. Tyra suddenly disappeared. The hall morphed into a battlefield. Brunnhilde was falling. She saw a spear coming straight at her chest and knew she was doomed. She closed her eyes waiting for the inevitable. But she never felt the pain or even the impact of the spear's contact against her body. Brunnhilde opened her eyes and, to her horror, saw Tyra falling, falling, a spear—the one that was meant for Brunnhilde—in her chest, falling. . .

Brunnhilde ran her hands through her long, dark hair. There wasn't time to dwell on the terrible dream. It wasn't real. It was formed from an old memory Brunnhilde had tried to forget for thousands of years. She took a deep breath. She couldn't waste any time today.

Focusing on the present state of things, Brunnhilde hurried to the main hall of the massive ship. They'd be needing her there. Everyone was preparing to go to Earth. They had already set coarse. Thor and Banner were explaining how everything functioned differently there. Heimdall still seemed wary of the plan. "Something's coming,'' he had told their king. This made Brunnhilde nervous. She couldn't stop thinking about what Loki had told her. About this Thanos character. Was he the "something" Heimdall was referring to? Brunnhilde didn't know. What she did know: Loki thought so. And if Loki thought so. . .

"Morning, Bruno.''

She jumped in surprise. Loki came up from behind, laughing. Brunnhilde groaned. "You idiot. What do you think you're doing?''

"I was just saying hello,'' said Loki innocently. So innocent was his voice, Brunnhilde almost left it at that. _Ladies and gentlemen, the god of mischief._

"Hi,'' she grumbled.

He was walking beside her. Their hands brushed.

"Did you sleep well?'' Brunnhilde was tempted tell him that she, in fact, had not in the slightest. But she just nodded. She wasn't sure why. She trusted him. _Actually_ trusted him. She was close enough to him that she felt comfortable telling him about her nightmares. Brunnhilde should have told him. But she held back.

Thor approached them with a winning smile. "Ah, I see your holding hands with a girl, brother.''

Brunnhilde hadn't even realized they were. She quickly let go and wiped her hand on her pants. Loki raised a brow at the least part. Brunnhilde's face flushed. _That probably wasn't the best thing to do, you stupid-headed girl._ Now you've put him off. She had not put him off though. He just cocked his head and smiled, making her feel worlds better. He crossed his arms at Thor.

"That's not really your business, is it?'' He asked coolly.

Thor opened his mouth to answer, but Loki waved him away. "It's not. What do you want?"

Thor eyed his little brother and the Valkyrie. "Nothing at all. Carry on.''

Brunnhilde watched him go. There was something he wanted them to do. But he was letting them alone instead. She was surprised how grateful she felt.

"Brunnhilde?'' His eyebrows drew together in concern. "Are you alright?''

She forced a smile. "I'm fine, Loki.''

The deity frowned, not buying it. "Come,'' he said. "Let's be alone together.''

They had been alone before, but the way Loki had just said it made Brunnhilde break into a sweat. _So much for the Valkyrie being virgins._

Loki led the way to her room. They didn't speak. Brunnhilde sort of zoned out at some points of their walk. She tried to exam Loki's every feature. His sharp jaw. His thin lips. His penetrating eyes. His wavy, midnight locks. His toned body. At some point his arm crept around her waist.

"Here we are,'' Brunnhilde said awkwardly when they entered her room. Loki circled it, observing. He climbed onto her bed and laid down. Loki beckoned to her. Trembling, she slid in next to him. He wrapped his thin arms around her. Brunnhilde snuggled closer. She felt his lips touch her cheek and she gasped, almost pulling away.

Loki ran his cool fingertips up and down her arms, moaning softly.

"Stop that,'' Brunnhilde muttered.

"Stop what?'' He whispered.

"Being so seductive.''

The god of mischief's lips parted in a smile. "Do you _really_ want me to stop?''

Brunnhilde traced his mouth with her pointer finger. "No.'' She rolled on top of him. Brunnhilde stared in his eyes, searching. She found what she was looking for. She found what she had been looking for for a million years. Brunnhilde lowered her head so their bodies were flat against each other. She kissed Loki. The Valkyrie kissed the stupid, annoying, beautiful god of mischief she was in love with.

 **Sorry for the brief ending. I didn't want to make it too naughty.**

 **Let's see if we can get 1 fav, 2 follows, and 5 reviews before next chapter! I would really appreciate it. Positive reviews make my day. Next chapter hint: Thanos is coming. Thats wasn't a hint, that was a spoiler. Oops. But you guys knew it was coming so, not really. Anyway, onward!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Bruno,'' Fiske piped excitedly, "tell us a story!''

Brunnhilde lifted the child onto her lap. "Alright, little one. But remember: my name is Brunnhilde. Not Bruno.''

"But that's what Loki calls you,'' Erika pointed out.

"And should you ever do what Loki does?'' Brunnhilde asked them, smiling.

"No!" The children chorused.

"Loki isn't all that bad,'' said Astrid, one of the oldest. "He rescued us from Asgard. True, he's betrayed King Thor on various occasions. But he's on our side now. . . I think. And I remember when he and Thor were best of friends!''

The Valkyrie nodded. "Loki has made mistakes. But so have I.''

"But you're perfect!'' Fiske looked up at her with big blue eyes.

She smiled. "Nobody is perfect, Fiske. Not me, not Loki, not even our king. But anyone can be redeemed.''

"King Thor is pretty perfect,'' muttered a pretty girl with blonde ringlets.

Thor had oh-so-kindly put Brunnhilde in charge of the children. At first she was furious. Children! She had fought in Asgard's most bloodiest battles and the king expected her to _babysit?_ But Brunnhilde soon got used to it. More so, she even enjoyed it. She had only watched the children for three days and they already adored her. The Valkyrie would play games them, and read old myths to them. Most of the time, the children crowded around her to listen to stories. Thousands of years ago, when she was fighting alongside the Valkyrie, Brunnhilde never would have imagined that one day she would be retelling her adventures to children.

"Can you tell the story now, _please?_ '' Fiske begged.

"Once upon a time, King Odin sent the Valkyrie to Svartalfheim to hunt a White Stag. He wanted it's head for decoration in the Great Hall. No wars were being fought at the time so he sent the Valkyrie. We arrived in the new realm, set up camp, and set out hunting. Obviously, we couldn't leave the camp unguarded so my friend Tyra and I were left to guard it. Tyra and I were fairly new Valkyrie so we naturally took our assignment serious for the first two hours, then got bored. While we were messing around, the White Stag wandered into the camp. Of course, when Tyra and I discovered its presence we were immediately alert. Tyra was able to corner it, while I went in for the kill. You can imagine the surprise of the others when they returned empty-handed to find us roasting Stag on the spit.''

Brunnhilde stopped her narrative. She thought she heard a commotion.

The pretty blonde girl wrinkled her nose. "You _ate_ the White Stag? Weren't you supposed to give it to Odin?''

"He just wanted the head,'' Astrid reminded her.

"Was it really bloody when you cut its head off?" Fiske asked.

The younger girls whimpered slightly.

"Well, that's enough stories for one day,'' Brunnhilde said, changing the subject.

"Aww,'' Fiske complained. "But the last one was so short!''

"I'll give you a nice long story tomorrow,'' she promised.

A guard appeared at the door of the small chamber. He brow was knit in a worried expression. Sweat beaded his forehead. "Valkyrie?''

Brunnhilde gently lifted Fiske and placed him on the floor with the other children. She ignored their annoyed complaints and hastened to the door. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know,'' said the guard. "An huge ship, even bigger than ours, just appeared in front of us. They don't mean help. They don't mean peace. They mean _war._ ''

The Valkyrie rolled her eyes. "Could that have been any more dramatic?'' She didn't wait for him to respond. "I'll keep the children here until we know more. Don't automatically expect every outsider to be an enemy. ''

The guard dipped his head and hurried off.

Brunnhilde sat back down with the children.

"What was that about?'' Asked one boy.

"Tell us!'' Shrieked another.

"Can you please just finish the story?'' Fiske groaned.

"Hush, hush, please,'' Brunnhilde quieted them. "That was just a guard. He had to tell me something. Adult stuff. Don't worry about it.''

The children settled back down.

Brunnhilde resumed the story, but she was distracted now. Doubt filled her. Within five minutes of the guard's appearance, she was certain something was wrong. The commotion she had heard previously loudened. The people were panicking. Something was wrong.

"Brunnhilde.''

A chill shot down her spine. She abruptly stopped telling the story to the children. She turned around. Loki was standing in the doorway. His expression was impossible to read. He was holding his left hand.

"I need to speak with you.''

A sick feeling stirred in her gut. Wordlessly she got up and left, shutting the door behind her. Once alone with Loki, Brunnhilde spoke. "What the hell are you doing?''

Loki averted his eyes. "Brunnhilde, please. This. . this wasn't supposed to happen. I'm sorry.''

"What's 'this'?'' She demanded. "What's happening? Loki. . . what have you done?''

He did not respond. He kept massaging his left hand. Finally, Loki lifted his gaze. And Brunnhilde understood.

"Thanos,'' she breathed.

Loki nodded miserably. "He found us.''

"He found you.'' Brunnhilde couldn't keep the accusation out of her voice. She saw the hurt in Loki's eyes. She didn't know whether to be guilty for causing it or not. Thanos. She remembered what Loki had said about him. Thanos was here for the Space Stone. Loki had it. He was in danger.

"You need to get out of here. Take the Stone and run.''

"No.'' Loki set his jaw determinedly. "If I leave Thanos will kill you all. It will be a genocide. No, I have to stay. But, Brunnhilde, _you_ have to go.''

She was about to protest, but Loki interrupted. "Take as many women and children as possible. There's a single escape pod on this ship. You need to leave now. He's here.''

Emotion choked the Valkyrie. She couldn't leave Loki and half of Asgard to die at the hands of a tyrant. Yet she knew it was her duty. No doubt, Thor had asked Loki to tell her to go. She would be disobeying direct orders from her king.

She studied Loki. He was as dark and beautiful as ever. He seemed peaceful despite what was inevitably going to happen. Loki understood his fate. He knew this was his fault, and he was willing to pay the price. Brunnhilde noticed his left hand was bruised and swelling.

"What happened to your hand?''

Loki shrugged. "People are bitter. They blame this on me. To be fair, they're right.''

Even though it was true, it still made Brunnhilde angry that the Asgardians had injured Loki. She gently took his hand. There was a discolored bump where the delicate bone that connected to his pointer finger had been broken. Brunnhilde carefully shifted the bone back in place. Loki winced in pain. She lifted his hand to her lips, kissing it. He wrapped his right arm around her waist, pulling her close so that their chests were touching.

"I can't leave you,'' she whispered. She felt a tear trace down her face.

"It's your duty.''

"I don't care. I just want to stay with you forever.'' She buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed.

Loki stroked her hair. "I know. But we were never made to be together. We must part.''

"I don't care what was made. We can create our own future. Please. Please, please, come with me. We can go together. Forget all this—"

Loki pulled away. "You don't believe anything you just said.''

Brunnhilde trembled. This could not be happening. Just when she thought everything would be okay. She was in love. In love with a god. As crazy as it was, it made Brunnhilde happy. She wanted him. She needed him.

"It's alright,'' he said. He forced a smile.

It was not alright. Loki would die.

Loki kissed her lips. "I love you, Bruno.''

"I love you too, Lucky.''

"Now go, hurry!''

With great effort, Brunnhilde pulled away. They stared at each other for a long moment. Then Brunnhilde smiled. "I will you see you again, my love.''

Then he was gone.

 **I'm almost done, don't worry. You won't have to suffer much longer;)**

 **Please REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 6

Brunnhilde sprinted down the ship's long hall. She skidded to a halt at the end. Glancing back behind her as she caught her breath she saw the children struggling to keep up with her. She cursed herself under her breath. Brunnhilde was a Valkyrie. Of course the children of Asgard couldn't match her sprint.

She forced a smile as young Fiske stumbled against her. He slouched down. Brunnhilde picked him up before he hit the ground. As the other exhausted children crowded around her, she stroked Fiske's hair.

"We're almost to the main hall,'' Brunnhilde said encouragingly. "Just a little farther. Then you will be reunited with your mothers. And _then_ we will get out of here, safe.''

"How?'' Someone in the back called.

"There's an escape pod. It will be a tight squeeze, but all the women and children should fit,'' she explained.

"What about our fathers?'' Astrid asked quietly.

Brunnhilde sighed. "They will stay and fight Thanos.''

Fiske lifted his head. "Who is Thanos anyway?''

A group of men raced past them, shouting orders and high on adrenaline. A part of Brunnhilde wished she could fight with them. Fight like a Valkyrie. But King Thor had _specifically_ asked her to evacuate the women and children. _It's your duty._

"We really need to go. No more questions. I'll explain everything later.'' Brunnhilde set Fiske down. "We are almost to the main hall,'' she repeated. "We need to go _now,_ before it's too late.''

Without waiting for their response, she started jogging towards the wide doors of the main hall. She heard the pittering of little feet behind her. Despite the stressful situation, Brunnhilde smiled. She decided she liked children. She would like to have some of her own. As soon as she thought about her own children, one word popped into her head: _Loki._ The Father of her future children. Yes, yes she liked that idea. Settling in a quiet place on Earth, hidden from their demons. Having children together. Raising a family. That would word nicely, Brunnhilde thought.

Reaching the main hall entrance, Brunnhilde pulled the large door wide open. She watched as the children funneled in. She took a quick check of her surroundings to make sure they had all gone in. Then, just as she was about to slip in herself, someone stumbled _out_ of the main hall. Bruce Banner fell to his hands and knees. He clenched his fists, breathing hard. Sweat dripped from his forehead. He was shirtless. Green veins shot down his chest and back, then receded. His hair and face were slowly shifted from his pale complexion to an hideous green.

Brunnhilde crouched down beside him. She understood what was happening. Banner was turning into the Hulk. Brunnhilde had grown quite close to Banner in the Hulk form. She was not afraid of him. She was actually more comfortable around the Hulk than the man. And Thanos was here. It was undoubtedly the reason for his panic, but the Valkyrie believed she could turn his demon towards him.

"Hey, it's okay,'' she rubbed circles on his back.

"Oh God,'' he gasped. "Ahh, damn it. I'm freaking out. The Hulk is coming out!''

"That's good,'' said Brunnhilde enthusiastically.

"Uhhh, no. It's bad.''

"It's good.''

"It's bad.''

" _No, listen._ The Hulk can fight Thanos! Banner cannot,'' she reasoned.

Bruce groaned. Brunnhilde nodded, satisfied. Even if he didn't want to be Hulk, it was going to happen anyway. No one could stop it. Bruce was growing, almost completely green.

"I have to go,'' Brunnhilde told him. "See ya, Big Guy.''

She leapt to her feet and dashed into the main Hall, bolting the door behind her. The children had already found their mothers. They were all calm, but visibly nervous, awaiting further instructions. Korg and Miek were there. Korg approached Brunnhilde.

"King Thor told me to help you evacuate,'' he informed her.

"Good. Make sure they all board the pod.''

Korg nodded importantly.

"Alright,'' the Valkyrie began. "Some of you know what's happening. Others do not. Whichever you are, follow me. We're getting out of here. Take nothing with you.''

The Asgardians looked nervously at one another. Brunnhilde stalked towards the escape pod that was attached to the main hall. The people followed her quickly. Korg and Miek brought up the rear ushering the Asgarians onto the escape pod.

The pod was large, but the women and children still had to crowd to fit. It was a metal/fiber sphere with padded seats along the circumference. There was a simple control-panel and a distress signal button. The women squeezed onto the seats while their children sat on the floor, clinging to their mothers' legs.

"That's all of them,'' said Korg.

"Thank you,'' Brunnhilde murmured.

She pressed the button that closed the doors tightly shut. With a final, wistful glance, she jammed the _escape_ button. The pod shot away from the ship. The Asgardian women had buckled themselves into their seats and were holding tightly to their children. Brunnhilde wasn't so fortunate. Her face slammed into the control-panel. She squeezed her eyes shut, ignoring the pain, her stomach turning. After what seemed like ages, the pod slowed down. It was drifting slowly in space. The Valkyrie rose shakily to her feet. The Asgardians were visibly shaking. None of them had ever experienced anything like that before. Brunnhilde wiped blood from her nose where she had smacked it on the control-panel. Korg was tightly clutching Miek.

"Brunnhilde.'' It was Astrid. She had recovered from the shock alarmingly quickly. "Please, tell us what is going on.''

Images of the god of mischief swirled inside her head. She had left him. She had escaped the ship, but left the love of her life there to die. Because, yes, Loki would die. So would King Thor, Heimdall, Bruce Banner and all the Asgardian men. Brunnhilde knew they could never defeat Thanos. Loki had met his match.

Brunnhilde wanted to collapse and let the dam that was holding back her tears burst. But she did know she had some explaining to do. She drew in a deep breath. And started talking. By the time she finished, every woman was in tears. They too knew no one could defeat Thanos. Their husbands, brothers, fathers, would die. The children were in awe. They hadn't fully comprehended the disaster yet. Brunnhilde prayed they never would.

"What now?'' Korg asked. "Will we go to Earth as previously planned?''

The Valkyrie shook her head. "Thanos will be on the move. Earth will be his next target.''

Several women wailed.

"You mean we're displaced?'' Fiske asked. Tears popped into his eyes. "No one wants us?''

"No.'' Brunnhilde was decisive. She pressed the distress button. Maybe help would come to the ship. Maybe Loki would not have to die. But what ever happened, Brunnhilde wasn't giving up. She was a Valkyrie. A fierce woman warrior. She would bring Asgard to safety. She did not know where, but she knew there was a place for them somewhere. And Brunnhilde knew she loved Loki. He could not be dead. She would see him again, just as he had promised. And promises, even from the god of mischief, were always kept.

"We're going to Earth. Come hell or highwater. We're going to fight Thanos. And we're going to win.''

 **That's all for now folks! Phew, this was not easy to write! I got stuck so many times! I even considered abandoning, or deleting it, but I'm glad I stuck with it til the end. I may or may not update after Avengers 4 depending on where things land at the end. Right now _Fallen Stars_ is on hold. Thank you for ****reading. Please review! Love, Rosalie.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello again! Long time, no see, amigos. I can't believe it's been over a year since this was published and almost a year since I updated! After seeing Avengers: Endgame I debated whether or not to write a proper ending for this story. I decided to go ahead and do so. However, I must apologize. I really wanted to give y'all the happy ending you deserve. But due to Loki remaining dead (or is he?) I was unable to write a storybook ending. I am genuinely sorry.  
**

 **Thank you so much for reading this story. It is immensely appreciated. I hope you have enjoyed reading Fallen Stars as much as I have enjoyed writing it.**

* * *

Brunnhilde took a deep breath, inhaling the salty sea air. She closed her eyes against the vast sea. The cool breeze pulled at her hair, causing dark wisps to fly around her long braid. The Valkyrie had her knees pulled up to her chest. Her head was resting on her knees. She was capturing the moment. She never wanted it to end. Her life would change after that day. From that day forward Brunnhilde would be known as the queen of New Asgard. It was odd, she thought. Her old life, before Sacaar had been devoted to serving King Odin. She was then devoted to serving King Thor. But now she herself was Asgard's leader. The thought made her uncomfortable. She was a servant; she was never served.

Thor had left with the raccoon and his friends just the day before. Brunnhilde's coronation was rapidly planned after Thor gave her his blessing. It wasn't that Brunnhilde didn't want to be queen. She knew just as well as anyone she would be an excellent leader. But the Valkyrie didn't want to rule alone. She had never pictured her future as it had played out.

Five years ago, Brunnhilde had successfully gotten the remaining Asgardians to safety. They had taken refuge in Jotunheim until Thor contacted them with the news that it was safe to come to Earth, that he had found them a quiet place in Norway to rebuild their lives. But that wasn't before something very strange happened. A number of the Asgardians had disintegrated without explanation. Thor later informed them that Thanos (the one who had attacked their ship) had collected the six Infinity Stones and snapped his fingers, wiping out half the population. Yeah. Brunnhilde didn't really get it either.

Upon returning, Thor had brought some rather tragic news. Loki was gone. Brunnhilde did not really remember what had happened after that. Her world had just started collapsing. She was not surprised. She had barely hoped her lover had made it through alive. She was even prepared. Except she wasn't. Nothing had prepared Brunnhilde for the pain. Thor tried consoling her by telling her he had died nobly, defending his brother and king. The Valkyrie was not to be comforted. Thor was also devastated, as well as guilty. He seemed to blame himself for what had happened with Thanos. Brunnhilde had dealt with the misery better than Thor. Thor became a drunken waste-away despite all of New Asgard's attempts. Brunnhilde had been there, done that. Loki had helped her get clean. She was not going to revoke that because of his loss. That would be an insult to his blessed memory.

Brunnhilde didn't want to rule Asgard alone. She would rather do it any other way. A beautiful vision of her ruling with Loki by her side kept crept into her head every time she closed her eyes. Brunnhilde had lost sleep trying to keep it away. But now she let it come. And with it came the tears. And the memories.

* * *

Sometimes there is a fine line between fantasy and reality. Giving into one's fantasy is often portrayed as dangerous; a lethal threat to reality. Maybe that is accurate. But by giving into a fantasy, one is simply escaping reality, not abandoning it. It can be a gap in the miserable world. A gap that is just wide enough for fresh air to rush in so one can gain a gasp of happiness in an otherwise miserable world. When the gap closes, one is left with no other choice but to open their eyes and face reality. To look up at the disappearing sun and the newly fallen stars.


End file.
